HDTV advice sought

[MrDisco]

I'm in the market for a new tv in the 37-42" size. Some models which cuaght my eye are:

Sharp Aquos 1080i 37" LC37D43U (LCD)
Sharp Aquos 1080p 42" LC42D72U (LCD)
Samsung 42" 1080i HP-T4264/4254/43234 (Plasma)

Video sources will be an SD satellite and a progressive scan DVD player

Any recommendations for other models? lcd vs plasma? sharp vs samsung? etc. I started browsing the avs forum but it seems like any tv under $5k has issues :|

Thanks for any help provided

[ali123]

well sharp's tv's suck at upconverting and i'm not sure about the plasma but if your sources are going to be 480p then i'd recommend the plasma

[MrDisco]

this is frustrating. i thought sharps were one of the better tvs on the market :|

[cba123]

I don't think most people can tell the differences in their TV's.

What do you currently have? I'm sure you're current TV has served you well and it probably had the same deficiencies raised by the techno enthusiasts.

I have a 57" Sony RPTV. The reports talked about how straight lines are not straight in the fringe areas and how certain types of graphics will not look correct, and how Sony's images are "softer" than other brands, etc.

Think about it, every show you've ever watched on your TV, how many times did you notice straight lines were not straight, etc. The test patterns designed to examine the flaws rarely show up in normal programs; if they did, then everyone would hate their TV at some point or another as no TV is without some flaw.

[MrDisco]

What do you currently have? I'm sure you're current TV has served you well and it probably had the same deficiencies raised by the techno enthusiasts.


I had a Sony 27" CRT which served us well for ~20 years :) After spending the last 3 days of research I am now convinced that lcd/plasma/pixie dust technology in its current state is just crap unless you have big bucks and watch nothing but BR or HD-DVD. :mad:


Think about it, every show you've ever watched on your TV, how many times did you notice straight lines were not straight, etc. The test patterns designed to examine the flaws rarely show up in normal programs; if they did, then everyone would hate their TV at some point or another as no TV is without some flaw.

the problem i find is that the more i read avs forum and talk to salesmen, the bewildered i've become. all i want is a good set that will let me watch regular satellite (or digital cable) and regular dvds using a non-upconverting player. What do the masses buy and use?

i was all set to buy a 42" 1080p display (even a sony XBR2 if the PQ was superior) but then the sales guy at FS said that a 1080p will make SD pictures look even worse then it already is. he suggested sticking to a 1080i set. of course non of these stores have any sd demo loops - they all use HD feeds to show off the pretty colours :|

questions:
1. what's a great 42" tv to buy?
2. how bad/good will an SD source look on said TVs?
3. what happens if i plug a 1080p source (i.e. ps3, BR player) into a 1080i set?

:frustrated:

[cba123]

i was all set to buy a 42" 1080p display (even a sony XBR2 if the PQ was superior) but then the sales guy at FS said that a 1080p will make SD pictures look even worse then it already is. he suggested sticking to a 1080i set. of course non of these stores have any sd demo loops - they all use HD feeds to show off the pretty colours :|

questions:
1. what's a great 42" tv to buy?
2. how bad/good will an SD source look on said TVs?
3. what happens if i plug a 1080p source (i.e. ps3, BR player) into a 1080i set?


I haven't been shopping for a new TV, but do the new 1080p models only run in just 1080p mode, and are not multi-frequency TVs that can run in 480, 780p, etc modes? I wouldn't think they would be single frequency.

My RPTV only has 1080i, and it does not run at FULL 780p or 1080i mode unless the feed is an HD signal. For SD signals, the TV runs at SD 480 mode, and I have the option of NORMAL 4:3 with gray sidebars, or ZOOM or WIDE ZOOM to fill the 16:9 display. When running HD, I cannot use PIP on my TV.

If they really want to make a sale, then they should be able to disconnect one of their SD non-upconverting DVD players on the floor and connect it to the particular TV your looking at. I also suggest bringing in your own DVD (or two) where you know what the picture quality is like on your old TV, then compare it to each TV (including a normal tv, a 1080p tv and a 1080i tv preferably by the same manufacturer).

If would be quite limiting for manufacturer to make a TV that is not compatible with any of the existing hardware out there. Nobody would buy the TV if it actually required you to replace everything (VCR, DVD Player, Cable Box, Satellite Box, etc.) to use it.

Sorry, I can't give you any specific advice on current models.

[fooit]

I'm in the market for a new tv in the 37-42" size. Some models which cuaght my eye are:

Sharp Aquos 1080i 37" LC37D43U (LCD)
Sharp Aquos 1080p 42" LC42D72U (LCD)
Samsung 42" 1080i HP-T4264/4254/43234 (Plasma)

Video sources will be an SD satellite and a progressive scan DVD player

Any recommendations for other models? lcd vs plasma? sharp vs samsung? etc. I started browsing the avs forum but it seems like any tv under $5k has issues :|

Thanks for any help provided

1. What's your watching distance?
2. Are you watching TV in controlled lighting?
3. What type of TV programming are mostly watching?
4. Are you playing any games on TV?
5. Do you plan to hook your PC or build/buy an HTPC?
The above questions will help to advise you LCD or Plasma path.

IMHO, disregard what HDTV you will get you will need to upgrade to get the best result out of it, meaning that you will need to get an UPCONVERTING DVD player (less than $100 now a days for inexpensive model, about $200-$300 for OPPO, depends on the model) and you will need to get a HIGH DEF version of the satellite box. You will need to connect both using HDMI (digital, the best) or Component cable (analog, not as good as HDMI).

[fitbrit]

I haven't been shopping for a new TV, but do the new 1080p models only run in just 1080p mode, and are not multi-frequency TVs that can run in 480, 780p, etc modes? I wouldn't think they would be single frequency.


The newer 1080P TVs upscale/deinterlace the signal to 1920x1080 as necessary. So they expand a lower signal until it reaches those specs and then display it on the screen.

[MrDisco]

1. What's your watching distance?

The living room is rectangle so at the farthest viewing distance its about 9ft. people sitting on either side will be at ~7ft


2. Are you watching TV in controlled lighting?


It's your typical living room so there is a side window (albeit with drapes) and light from the kitchen can hit the living room during the day. At night there are two end table lamps.

3. What type of TV programming are mostly watching?

To begin with it will only be sd Satellite (or maybe digital cable) and DVDs. The dvds will be played on a regular progressive scan player that is not upconverting connected via component cables.


4. Are you playing any games on TV?
5. Do you plan to hook your PC or build/buy an HTPC?


No to gaming. Maybe for the PC, but that will be a 'nice to have' not a must have (and even then it will be used sporadically). I want good SD picture quality above all else.

I would like the ability to have HD as an option if we ever get a BR or HD player, but i have a feeling that in 2 years time the standards will all change :|

[fooit]

IMHO, with your watching distance and old SD equipment you need HDTV with the best processing to make it look good on screen - there are two brands with the best video processors in their plasmas - Pioneer and NEC.
Panasonics, Samsungs, etc are great plasmas but when it comes down to SD the two that stand out are Pioneer and NEC.

1. If you plan to upgrade in the near future then you can't go wrong with Pioneer PDP-5010HD 50" 1080p plasma. Pricey - yes! But once you'd get that BluRay or HDDVD player it'll shine to its full capabilities.

2. If you don't plan to upgrade in the near future then I'd focus on several models - Pioneer PDP-4280 42" 768p plasma (new, best blacks, etc), older Pioneer PDP-4270, Pioneer Professional plasma 427CMX and NEC 42XR5.
Those will take your analog input signals, deinterlace and scale them to the native plasma resolution to look good on screen.

Hope that helps!

[knapper]

IMHO, with your watching distance and old SD equipment you need HDTV with the best processing to make it look good on screen - there are two brands with the best video processors in their plasmas - Pioneer and NEC.
Panasonics, Samsungs, etc are great plasmas but when it comes down to SD the two that stand out are Pioneer and NEC.

What about a similar layout, but smaller LCD screen (e.g. 26-32")?

[Twitch1977]

the problem i find is that the more i read avs forum and talk to salesmen, the bewildered i've become. all i want is a good set that will let me watch regular satellite (or digital cable) and regular dvds using a non-upconverting player. What do the masses buy and use?

I feel your pain I'm in the exact same boat as you right now trying to pick out a new TV.. one store says Plasma is the way to go, the next will say that to meet my needs it has to be an LCD, the next pushes the LED DLP. It's very frustrating, and I wish you the best of luck in this. :/

T

[fooit]

What about a similar layout, but smaller LCD screen (e.g. 26-32")?

Why would you want to go small screen TV?

[fooit]

I feel your pain I'm in the exact same boat as you right now trying to pick out a new TV.. one store says Plasma is the way to go, the next will say that to meet my needs it has to be an LCD, the next pushes the LED DLP. It's very frustrating, and I wish you the best of luck in this. :/

T

That's simple of you do your homework...
1. Viewing distance (will help to decide size and if you need 1080p or 768p)?
2. Controlled lighting, what and when do you watch, play (will help to decide if you go LCD or plasma)
3. Do you have/plan to buy BluRay/HD DVD/etc?
4. Do you plan to use it as a computer monitor?

Once you are set on plasma or LCD and screen size, you add budget and you get very limited options - your eyes will help you to decide what's best for you.
Note that TV's usually don't look good in stores with their crappy signals.

New technologies will emerge and die all the time, like now we are waiting to see LED-LCD from Samsung.

Stores will advertise whatever they carry and make the most money on.

[Aske001]

I had a Sony 27" CRT which served us well for ~20 years :) After spending the last 3 days of research I am now convinced that lcd/plasma/pixie dust technology in its current state is just crap unless you have big bucks and watch nothing but BR or HD-DVD. :mad:


I was in the same situation, updating from a 27" Sony XBR CRT with excellent picture quality. I wasn't happy with the crappy SD performance on a lot of the HDTVs I looked at.

Fortunately it's not a universal problem. I eventually bought a high-end Panasonic plasma, and I'm very happy with the excellent SD picture of this set. The scaling and de-interlacing performance of the Panasonic plasma is amazing, especially by comparison to cheaper sets. With a good-quality digital satellite SD signal, I sometimes have to look twice to be sure it's on the SD channel instead of the HD channel.

Top-quality LCD sets can also do a good job with SD scaling now, but it seems to be more of a technical challenge for LCD than for plasma. Not sure exactly why, could be a combination of:
1. LCD sets push more into the cheap end of the market, so a lot of them probably have cheap crappy video electronics
2. LCD sets tend to have a higher resolution (e.g., many are 1920 x 1080), which makes the scaling job more extreme.
3. LCD sets with their backlight-transmission display technology tend to have a harder time controlling the fine colour/intensity graduations needed for good anti-aliasing.

[Oversized Rooster]

Can you guys recommend what I should be looking for? I need a mid-end LCD for the master bedroom. I've made a diagram of the layout.

The main "problem" with this room is that it's got a lot of sunlight through two windows and a skylight. Also, the distance between the viewers' heads and the proposed LCD hanging location will be about 4 meters.

Therefore, I cannot consider anything less than 26". 95% of the time, there will be digital cable viewed on this TV. 4:3 pictures most of the time with the occasional widescreen DVD. No gaming, no computer usage. I would like the ability to add HDTV in the future.

http://www.gergin.net/posts/LCD Help.jpg

I've been looking on Future Shop's site and it seems that what makes some LCDs more expensive than others in the same size category is the contrast ratio. Should I be looking for greater values in that section?

[fooit]

Can you guys recommend what I should be looking for? I need a mid-end LCD for the master bedroom. I've made a diagram of the layout.

4 meters = 13.1233596 feet - I'd say you need 60"...
I am not sure you will see the difference between 768p and 1080p at this distance.

Are you gonna watch TV during the daytime/morning?
If yes - Sharp has 57" and 65" LCDs, not sure about Samsung and Sony.
If no - look at Pioneer 60", Panasonic 58" and 65" plasmas, Samsung 63", Philips 63", etc...

Plasmas are gonna be considerable cheaper than LCDs at these sizes.

[Spud72]

IMHO, with your watching distance and old SD equipment you need HDTV with the best processing to make it look good on screen - there are two brands with the best video processors in their plasmas - Pioneer and NEC.
Panasonics, Samsungs, etc are great plasmas but when it comes down to SD the two that stand out are Pioneer and NEC.

I dunno man, I've spent the last month looking at new plasma and the Panasonics I saw had easily as good, if not better SD quality than the various Pioneers I compared them to in a few different stores.

Didn't see any NECs to compare though. :|

[Oversized Rooster]

4 meters = 13.1233596 feet - I'd say you need 60"...
I am not sure you will see the difference between 768p and 1080p at this distance.

Are you gonna watch TV during the daytime/morning?
If yes - Sharp has 57" and 65" LCDs, not sure about Samsung and Sony.
If no - look at Pioneer 60", Panasonic 58" and 65" plasmas, Samsung 63", Philips 63", etc...

Plasmas are gonna be considerable cheaper than LCDs at these sizes.

LOL thanks for the sarcastic post. I'm looking to hover around the $1000 mark, not $5000.

[fooit]

LOL thanks for the sarcastic post. I'm looking to hover around the $1000 mark, not $5000.

LOL, I wasn't sarcastic, you've never mentioned $1000... With $1000 you'd better wait till something 50" drops in price, or, hmm, get a really good binoculars and 37" LCD ;)

[knapper]

Why would you want to go small screen TV?

Because it's for the bedroom, and the wife wants a flat screen, but small. If it were up to me I would just use a high quality non LCD/plasma because we will be watching primarily SD.

[fooit]

I dunno man, I've spent the last month looking at new plasma and the Panasonics I saw had easily as good, if not better SD quality than the various Pioneers I compared them to in a few different stores.

Didn't see any NECs to compare though. :|

All said above was my opinion. I am not here to argue with your eyes.
Please note that NONE of the plasmas in stores are connected to REAL SD - it's all good quality upconverting DVD players or HDDVD or BluRay or Rogers/Bell HD boxes.

[Marlek]

OP, given your modest viewing requirements I would seriously reconsider buying a 1080p display over a good 720p display. You would be paying a fairly large premium for a feature that you are unlikely to take advantage of anytime soon. Not to mention, you would have to be sitting less than 8' away from the display to even begin to see the difference in quality between 720p and 1080p for the display sizes you're looking at.

Take a look here:

http://www.carltonbale.com/wp-content/uploads/resolution_chart.png

[fooit]

Because it's for the bedroom, and the wife wants a flat screen, but small. If it were up to me I would just use a high quality non LCD/plasma because we will be watching primarily SD.

What's your watching distance?

Bedroom or not - you want to enjoy your TV.There is no point of buying flat screen if you need a set of binoculars to enjoy it.

[Twitch1977]

That's simple of you do your homework...
1. Viewing distance (will help to decide size and if you need 1080p or 768p)?
2. Controlled lighting, what and when do you watch, play (will help to decide if you go LCD or plasma)
3. Do you have/plan to buy BluRay/HD DVD/etc?
4. Do you plan to use it as a computer monitor?

Once you are set on plasma or LCD and screen size, you add budget and you get very limited options - your eyes will help you to decide what's best for you.
Note that TV's usually don't look good in stores with their crappy signals.

New technologies will emerge and die all the time, like now we are waiting to see LED-LCD from Samsung.

Stores will advertise whatever they carry and make the most money on.

These are all questions I answered before even being asked in the stores and still got tons of varying responses.

1) Viewing distance isn't static and can be adjusted for the tv, I want a minimum 50" at native 1080p.
2) It will be in a basement with incandescent lighting that will have the light just a couple feet in front of and to one side of the TV so I don't think glare will be a big issue.
3) I mostly watch non-HD satellite tv, although I likely will get an HD receiver soonish. I have a playstation 3 which I will use for some (not a lot) of gaming and blue ray.
4) Using the tv as a monitor would be something that I don't really forsee doing that much, definitely not for gaming, only thing would be potentially for a mythtv box.

My budget would be sub-$4000 preferably around $3500 but if it went a bit above I could live with it.

T

[MrDisco]

1. If you plan to upgrade in the near future then you can't go wrong with Pioneer PDP-5010HD 50" 1080p plasma. Pricey - yes! But once you'd get that BluRay or HDDVD player it'll shine to its full capabilities.


by the time i upgrade my tv signal (only on analog cable at the moment) and buy the equipment, it will be a while before i switch to BR/HD. And 50" is awesome, but too large for my small living room.


2. If you don't plan to upgrade in the near future then I'd focus on several models - Pioneer PDP-4280 42" 768p plasma (new, best blacks, etc), older Pioneer PDP-4270, Pioneer Professional plasma 427CMX and NEC 42XR5.
Those will take your analog input signals, deinterlace and scale them to the native plasma resolution to look good on screen.

Oops I forgot to mention budget. I would like to keep the set at $2k tops (w/o tax).
I thought about plasma, but i'm not sure if I will like the reflections coming off of the display. I don't want to watch tv in the dark all the time :|

OP, given your modest viewing requirements I would seriously reconsider buying a 1080p display over a good 720p display.

A few sales people mentioned that and I agree - w/o BR/HD a 1080p is a waste. the problem is
1. some of the better features are only found on 1080p (or am i mistaken?)
2. a 720p display guarantees i'll need a new tv set if i do upgrade the video source.

but i'm very open to suggestions. what do you recommend in the 720p at 40-42" size range? Sony Bravia D series? Aquos 42" 62u? (though that's a 1080p display but cheaper). Samsung? etc

Also, what happens if i plug in a 1080p source into a 720p/1080i tv? will it look crap?
similarly, on a 720p set how does sd look?

Blanket thank-you statement to everyone contributing.

[Aske001]

Honestly most other factors pale in comparison to a few simple ones, as most features are seldom used, and your eyes adapt to minor differences in appearance.

These are the few I would watch out for:

LCDs look better in well-lit rooms than dark ones. Their screens have high brightness and low reflection, but the very visible and non-uniform backlight leakage is an annoyance factor when watching dark scenes in a dimly-lit room.

Plasmas look better in dimly lit rooms, as their superior black levels and contrast ratio shines. But in brightly lit rooms, it's the unwanted screen reflections that can shine annoyingly. Some now have better anti-reflective coatings, but their reflectance is still much higher than LCD.

Consumer Reports says that the #1 regret of HDTV buyers is that they should have bought a bigger screen. You'll be amazed how quickly you get used to that giant screen and it starts to look like a postage stamp. :cheesygri

[Spud72]

All said above was my opinion. I am not here to argue with your eyes.
Please note that NONE of the plasmas in stores are connected to REAL SD - it's all good quality upconverting DVD players or HDDVD or BluRay or Rogers/Bell HD boxes.

Of course, but watching SD on an Express-Vu or Starchoice receiver in the store is going to be indicative of what you can expect to see with SD on those receivers in your house.

[fooit]

Of course, but watching SD on an Express-Vu or Starchoice receiver in the store is going to be indicative of what you can expect to see with SD on those receivers in your house.

Startchoice receiver in store is High Definition receiver, it receives digital signal, deinterlaces and scales to 720p or 1080i internally.
In 90% of stores those receivers are hooked to HDTVs with HDMI cables and in the remaining 10% with really good quality component cables.

You can compare different flat screens with the same HD Startchoice receiver but you can NOT conclude how analog signal from cable or antenna will look, or how will DVD or Starchoice hooked with composite (the worst) or s-video (better) cables, and that's exactly what OP is going to do using his existing equipment.

[fooit]

These are all questions I answered before even being asked in the stores and still got tons of varying responses.

1) Viewing distance isn't static and can be adjusted for the tv, I want a minimum 50" at native 1080p.
2) It will be in a basement with incandescent lighting that will have the light just a couple feet in front of and to one side of the TV so I don't think glare will be a big issue.
3) I mostly watch non-HD satellite tv, although I likely will get an HD receiver soonish. I have a playstation 3 which I will use for some (not a lot) of gaming and blue ray.
4) Using the tv as a monitor would be something that I don't really forsee doing that much, definitely not for gaming, only thing would be potentially for a mythtv box.

My budget would be sub-$4000 preferably around $3500 but if it went a bit above I could live with it.

T


1080p is a waste at 50" unless you sit closer than 9ft.
There was a chart posted in this thread - use it.

With your inputs I think Panasonic 50" and 58" Z700 and Z750 and Pioneer 50"(5080 and 5010) and 60"(6010) are your candidates.
50" 5080 and Z700 both in your budget today, but for basement I would put 60".

Pioneer 5080 can be had for $3500 today in Toronto delivered, I am sure you can get Z700 Panasonic even cheaper. 5080 has better blacks and better video processing, Z700 is 1080p - if you sit close and play PS3 that's a plus.

[fooit]

For those who's worries about reflections in plasma - just take a look at your 27" CRT... :)

[cba123]

Are you saying every store out there only uses HD satellite signals and equipment for their floor displays?

Also, are there no standard non-upconverting DVD players being sold anymore? I find it difficult to comprehend why a store would refuse to allow a user to properly compare an SD DVD signal is displayed on each display.

I guess all the newer HDTV's are crappier than my older HDTV. The only thing mine didn't include and I wish it did was a digital input connector for my HTPC. I have to feed my 780p output from my HTPC to the TV using component video cables.

[fooit]

Are you saying every store out there only uses HD satellite signals and equipment for their floor displays?
Yep, that's exactly what I am saying.

Also, are there no standard non-upconverting DVD players being sold anymore?
They are still sold just like CRT are still being sold, but 90% of store shelves are taken by HDTVs and HDDVD/BluRay/Upconverting DVD players.

I find it difficult to comprehend why a store would refuse to allow a user to properly compare an SD DVD signal is displayed on each display.
Every store has its own policy, I believe majority will let you connect whatever you want however in some case it's gonna be impossible, like in nearby 2001 Audio Video 50" plasmas are hanged near the ceiling in the store.
What's for sure - you won't be able to compare old analog SD signal (as analog cable or antenna or regular DVD) side by side. Why? Because on majority of HDTVs these signals will look like crap as they want to sell those TV they won't show their negative sides. Some HDTVs are capable to process and scale those old analog SD signals better than others - and these are Pioneer and NEC.

I guess all the newer HDTV's are crappier than my older HDTV. The only thing mine didn't include and I wish it did was a digital input connector for my HTPC. I have to feed my 780p output from my HTPC to the TV using component video cables.
Maybe. Maybe not. You never said what's your old HDTV is.

[Spud72]

Startchoice receiver in store is High Definition receiver, it receives digital signal, deinterlaces and scales to 720p or 1080i internally.
In 90% of stores those receivers are hooked to HDTVs with HDMI cables and in the remaining 10% with really good quality component cables.

You can compare different flat screens with the same HD Startchoice receiver but you can NOT conclude how analog signal from cable or antenna will look, or how will DVD or Starchoice hooked with composite (the worst) or s-video (better) cables, and that's exactly what OP is going to do using his existing equipment.
Right, and I'm not disagreeing with you. That's why I said:
Of course, but watching SD on an Express-Vu or Starchoice receiver in the store is going to be indicative of what you can expect to see with SD on those receivers in your house.
Assuming you're using the same receiver so you're doing an apples/apples comparison.

I'm not so much talking about the OP anymore, just in general comparing TVs. Apologies since I didn't say so. :)

Besides, who with a fancy new HDTV isn't going to change up to a hidef receiver within short order? :)

I will also agree, in my shopping during this past while, I didn't see a single display that wasn't running a hidef signal.

Well, that's a lie.. I think Wal-Mart was using something like a VHS it looked so bad! ;)

[MrDisco]

For those who's worries about reflections in plasma - just take a look at your 27" CRT... :)

My old CRT wasn't quite as glossy as some of the plasmas I've seen on display. At any rate I've ruled it out as the reflections will drive me nuts and to a lesser degree they consume a little bit more power to run.


Consumer Reports says that the #1 regret of HDTV buyers is that they should have bought a bigger screen. You'll be amazed how quickly you get used to that giant screen and it starts to look like a postage stamp. :cheesygri

Very true. I started this whole thing at 37" and now I'm thinking about 46" :eek:


They are still sold just like CRT are still being sold, but 90% of store shelves are taken by HDTVs and HDDVD/BluRay/Upconverting DVD players.

Yep. I've visited a bunch of stores now and I've noticed they use either:
1. in-store looped HD feed
2. rogers digital cable with the HD channels
3. BR players
4. 1080p content stored on an external HD chasis (this one surprised me)

today i saw sd content over rogers digital at the sony store. it looked alright..not CRT quality but liveable provided you have enough distance. (as an aside: i felt the salesguy was only interested in me making a purchase on the spot. once i started asking 'hard' questions he gave me his card and backed away. :mad: )

Are you saying every store out there only uses HD satellite signals and equipment for their floor displays?
I find it difficult to comprehend why a store would refuse to allow a user to properly compare an SD DVD signal is displayed on each display.

I would say the majority of them setup the sets with HD content to show off the pretty colours. i've found it difficult to find SD content (never mind analog cable) or non-upconverting DVD players on demo.

I wouldn't say refusal, but more 'how much is the customer going to waste my time and eat into my commission by keeping me away from other buyers'. Even if the section is empty, they'll be reluctant to pull out an SD dvd player and hook it up just to satisfy my curiosity.

Anyway what do people think of these model choices:
Sony KDL40V3000 - $1970 taxes in (40", 1080p, mid-range Bravia)
Sony KDL46S3000 - $2070 taxes in (46", 1080i, entry level Bravia)
Sharp Aquos LC42D72U - $2394 taxes in (42", 1080p, mid-range Aquos)
Sharp Aquos LC46D62U - $2380 taxes in (46", 1080p, entry level Aquos)

[cruisn76]

Anyway what do people think of these model choices:
Sony KDL40V3000 - $1970 taxes in (40", 1080p, mid-range Bravia)
Sony KDL46S3000 - $2070 taxes in (46", 1080i, entry level Bravia)
Sharp Aquos LC42D72U - $2394 taxes in (42", 1080p, mid-range Aquos)
Sharp Aquos LC46D62U - $2380 taxes in (46", 1080p, entry level Aquos)

I am looking at the Sharp LC46D62U. Best Buy just put that thing $800 less @ $2200 + taxes. Where did you find that price for $2380 taxes-in MR DISCO???? I need a new TV by the end of the week and if you can get that quoted price I am in.

I was looking at the LC42D62U originally, but found out the LC46d62U had better contrast ratio and the 2ms faster response. Not a great amount by any standard, but can it be justified to spend $400-500 more for 4"????

Is there anything I should be aware of with Sharp Aquos other than the banding issues??????


EDIT: I just found out the LC42d72U has a DVI connection that the LC46D62U doesn't. and Not Wall mount on the LC42D72U

[MrDisco]

I am looking at the Sharp LC46D62U. Best Buy just put that thing $800 less @ $2200 + taxes. Where did you find that price for $2380 taxes-in MR DISCO????

it was through an employee discount..

[veryhuman]

Sony KDL40V3000 - $1970 taxes in (40", 1080p, mid-range Bravia)
Sony KDL46S3000 - $2070 taxes in (46", 1080i, entry level Bravia)
Sharp Aquos LC42D72U - $2394 taxes in (42", 1080p, mid-range Aquos)
Sharp Aquos LC46D62U - $2380 taxes in (46", 1080p, entry level Aquos)

Great thread, very useful information. I've been looking at the KDL40V3000 myself. Is the KDL40V3000 price from the Sony Store?

[Asad_A203]

Sony and Samsung are essentially the same (same LCD screens); so I would say go Samsung since you are getting Sony picture at a reduced price. We have a 37" 1080P Samsung LCD and it looks great, I also only have Samsung monitors and they are all great. Unfortunately the TV in my room is going to be Toshiba since I don't have cash for a Samsung...

[MrDisco]

Is the KDL40V3000 price from the Sony Store?

no it's through an employee discount..

anyway i ordered my set and hopefully it will arrive thursday. now i need to get advice on:
-cables (Monster: hype or real deal?)
-power bar (ditto)
-satellite vs digital cable

[AudiDude]

After 4 years of installing Sharp, I still can't believe people but that stuff because others have said it was supposed to be good. I can get cost on the stuff and you wouldn't catch me using it. Any fast motion is quickly turned into little cubes as the TV chokes on fast action (always has).

These Sharp panels look awesome on the outside ONLY, great work by designer Toshiyuki Kita. Most people make the best choices they can and hope for the best, and then defend their choices by saying it is the best they have seen, too bad for them and their rose coloured glasses. They can't/won't admit they made a mistake.

I have set up many home theatres and can tell you if you not running a Panasonic or Pioneer plasma, forget it. I also don't give a crap about "well it was good for the money" because either the TV is good, or not. Most people waste their money on buying TVs with speakers and they have a surround sound system. You want good and cheap(er)? Buy a Panasonic industrial panel and save your money. Want a slightly better picture? Buy a Pioneer Elite with a huge external DA multimedia box. Which would I get? The Panasonic. Why? Because you can only really see the difference if the Pioneer and the Panasonic were in the same room.

Have I done any install where I can see two TVs at once? Yes, unfortunately for the Sharp, I could see the Pioneer Elite from the same spot in the kitchen. Does the Panasonic have HDMI? No, it is an option that can be purchased for when you need it. Do you need it now? Not unless you have an upconverting DVD player, or really want to comply with anti-piracy schemes (which is all that HDMI is about anyway...)

Panasonic TH-50PH9UK or TH-50PZ700
'nuff said.

[AudiDude]

no it's through an employee discount..

anyway i ordered my set and hopefully it will arrive thursday. now i need to get advice on:
-cables (Monster: hype or real deal?)
-power bar (ditto)
-satellite vs digital cable

If you were running a COMPOSITE cable instead of COMPONENT cables, I would agree to buy a better cable. Since component separates some signals and places them on separate wires, less quality wires will suffice. If you buy a monster cable power bar piece of crap, you'd better not have a Rogers PVR plugged into it if you want to be able to use the On Demand feature. Alson NEVER route cable through one of those disaster bars as it will knock out banks of digital channels.

If you install any type of powerbar in your house, it tries to protect the devices plugged into it by dumping spikes and surges onto the ground. What happens to all the other devices that are on the same circuit? Kiss them goodbye!

To do the job right, you need a whole home surge protector that installs at the electrical panel. It will dump the surges and spikes at the panel instead of letting them into the house.
It look like this: http://www.smarthome.com/4839.html

[MrDisco]

If you were running a COMPOSITE cable instead of COMPONENT cables, I would agree to buy a better cable. Since component separates some signals and places them on separate wires, less quality wires will suffice.

i will probably using hdmi or component for the digital box/sat receiver. i take it monoprice is the best way to go for these?


To do the job right, you need a whole home surge protector that installs at the electrical panel. It will dump the surges and spikes at the panel instead of letting them into the house.
It look like this: http://www.smarthome.com/4839.html

hmm...so what brand do i look for? where can i buy them? and much do they cost to install?

[cruisn76]

no it's through an employee discount..

anyway i ordered my set and hopefully it will arrive thursday. now i need to get advice on:
-cables (Monster: hype or real deal?)
-power bar (ditto)
-satellite vs digital cable

i grabbed the Sharp LC42D62U @ Bestbuy
Total $1729 + $50(monster cables) <-- Impulse, shoulda waited. BB guy offered me that price with the TV so I couldn't say no.@ Best Buy.

No banding issues at all (for now), and BB also gave me 8 months FREE ($19.95 per month) of HD from ROGERS.

I fell in love with HD last night, We fell asleep together :D

Seriously it looks very nice watching the channel 500's (HD).

Mr Disco are you with Rogers????? If you are give them a call ASAP when you get your TV. If you read the thread about "FREE HD PVR from Rogers" You can get 1-2 years of HD free!!!

I called them yesterday and the Retention Rep gave me 2 yr Credit of HD PVR on my account. Which works out to be:

$24.95 x 24 = $598.80 credit split into 4 separate credits = $149.70 x 4 (REP said she cannot do $600 all at once) On top of that I get a credit of $20/mth for 8 mths for the Promo with Best Buy. So all in all, I got 2 yr and 8 mths of free HD box and programming.

Once my 8 mths free is over, I am going to switch to a HD PVR right away free for 2 yrs. This is such a sweeeeeeeeeeeet deal

[MrDisco]

Mr Disco are you with Rogers????? If you are give them a call ASAP when you get your TV. If you read the thread about "FREE HD PVR from Rogers" You can get 1-2 years of HD free!!!

i'm with rogers analog cable. i'm not sure how to bargain with them to get digital HD.

[cruisn76]

i'm with rogers analog cable. i'm not sure how to bargain with them to get digital HD.

I simply just said, "Bell gave me a call couple days ago offering me 2yr HD PVR for free. But I don't want satellite and I would like to stay with rogers cable, what can you do for me?"

Just ask that, the LADY (specifically Michelle) said we can offer you 2yr credit on a HD PVR ($24.95) = $598.80.

Try it.
Good luck.

[SirAlain]

WT*??? r u sure about the make/model/size? did not know they made a 37".

whats the model number? its gotta be a 40" 1080P samsung.

YES! Yes, I wanna know! I can't find a Samsung 37 1080p. Where did you buy it? Any info/details?

[Asad_A203]

WT*??? r u sure about the make/model/size? did not know they made a 37".

whats the model number? its gotta be a 40" 1080P samsung.

Oh sorry, it is not my TV; it is my brother. I just checked it is a 720P LCD. I still had Toshiba stuck in my head, they have 37" 1080P as there high end LCDs I was looking at; they had a 32 at FS for $1400 i think.

http://www.samsung.com/ca/products/tv/lcd/lnt375haxxac.asp

[AudiDude]

i will probably using hdmi or component for the digital box/sat receiver. i take it monoprice is the best way to go for these?


hmm...so what brand do i look for? where can i buy them? and much do they cost to install?

I buy HDMI from here : http://www.logiccomputerhouse.com/site/main.php . I think I pay $25 for 20 ft or something like that. I don't know if monoprice is better, but if the difference is only $5, and I have to order it, I'd rather have the cables in my posession immediately for the extra $$. As far as the whole home surge device, the website I posted the link from is probably your best source. I guess I would have to recommend that you have an electrician install the device (even though I personally would do it myself), so prices will vary, but the idea of a surge or spike never troubling anything in my house again is too attractive.

[jaclyn_boy]

Great thread, very useful information. I've been looking at the KDL40V3000 myself. Is the KDL40V3000 price from the Sony Store?

Just to let you all know, I bought my KDL40V3000 for $1750.00 at Visions Electronics. No employee pricing or anything, just a great deal. It's the best t.v. on the market in that size for that price. If you live in Winnipeg or have an Advance Electronics in your city, you should check out the Panasonic t.v.'s side by side to the Sony. Too bad that Panasonic only builds to a 32" or I would have bought that. There was no tracers and the picture was absolutly crystal clear.